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Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Emigration from Venezuela has reached the point where the United Nations' High Commissioer for Refugees issued guidance about how to deal with it. Although the statement takes pains not to be political, the last sentence in this quote really says it all.

There has been a 2,000% increase in the number of Venezuelan
nationals seeking asylum worldwide since 2014, principally in the Americas
during the last year. Although over 94,000 Venezuelans have been able to access
refugee procedures in other countries in 2017, many more of those in need of
protection opt for other legal stay arrangements, that may be faster to obtain
and provide the right to work, access to health and education. Yet, hundreds of
thousands of Venezuelans remain without any documentation or permission to stay
legally in asylum countries. This makes them particularly vulnerable to
exploitation, trafficking, violence, sexual abuse, discrimination and
xenophobia.

Within this context, UNHCR’s guidelines encourage States to
ensure Venezuelans have access to territory and refugee procedures. In
addition, UNHCR welcomes and calls on governments to adopt pragmatic
protection-oriented responses for the Venezuelan people, such as alternative
legal stay arrangements, including visas or temporary residence permits, as
well as other regularization programmes, which guarantee access to the basic
rights of health care, education, family unity, freedom of movement, shelter
and the right to work. UNHCR applauds countries in Latin America that have
introduced such arrangements, and hopes that costs and requirements are eased,
where necessary to ensure accessibility.

In view of the situation in Venezuela, it is crucial that
people are not deported or forcibly returned there.